[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department
publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime
intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No
attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or
opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

NOTES ON THE BRITISH GENERAL STAFF, ARMS AND SERVICES

a. The Staff is divided into three main parts as shown below:

STAFF

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"G" Staff

"A" Staff

"Q" Staff

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GeneralStaff

AdjutantGeneral'sStaff

QuartermasterGeneral'sStaff

(1) The General Staff, also known as the "G" Staff or "G.S.," is responsible
for operations, intelligence, training, and coordination. At the War Office
and other large headquarters, separate branches are established. At
headquarters other than the War Office, branches are designated as follows:

G. (S.D.)

-- Staff Duties

(War Office designation -- S.D.)

G. (Ops)

-- Operations

( " " " -- M.O.)

G. (I)

-- Intelligence

( " " " -- M.I.)

G. (C.W.)

-- Chemical Warfare

( " " " -- SD.9.)

G. (Trg)

-- Training

( " " " -- M.T.)

(a) G. (S.D.) Branch is the coordinating General Staff Branch. It is
responsible for organization of troops for battle, allotment of priorities of
weapons and equipment, policy concerned with organization and armament for battle, etc.

Note: At headquarters below the GHQ of a force, the "G" branches are
progressively combined, e.g., S.D. and Trg are combined at Corps Hqs.

(2) The Adjutant General's Staff, also known as the "A" Staff, may be
described as the foster father of the individual soldier. It enlists, pays,
promotes, looks after his discipline and welfare, supervises his medical care, and
eventually discharges or buries him.

The responsibilities of the "A" Staff in no way interfere with or minimize
the responsibility of unit commanders for the discipline and promotion of their men.

"A" Branch considers questions of manpower and statistics, and in connection with
those subjects it follows that "A" Branch is concerned with the organization of
units and manpower generally. There is a very close link with G. (S.D.).

The senior Medical Officer at any headquarters is the adviser to the
Headquarters Commander concerning all matters bearing on hospitalization, medical
care, hygiene, and sanitation. His approach to the Commander, however, is
through the "A" Branch, which coordinates all medical matters from a general
staff point of view.

(3) The Quartermaster General's Staff ("Q") outfits the soldier and is
responsible for the provision, through its services, of every article (clothing,
equipment, weapons, ammunition, food, vehicles, gas, and oil) which is required. It
is also responsible for movement, except when troops are actively engaged in
operations. Operational movement is controlled by the General Staff.

The subdivision of "Q" duties varies at different headquarters. It is
normal, however, to find at large headquarters at least three subdivisions.

(a) Q (Ops) or Q (Maint) provide all that the soldier requires.

(b) Q (ACC) deals with accommodations.

(c) Q (M) deals with movement.

At every British Hqs there is an officer who coordinates "A" and "Q" duties. He
is the nearest approach to our Commanding General, Services of Supply.

b. Grades of Staff Officers

Staff officers of the rank of Colonel and above are ungraded and, in general, exercise
a coordinating function over a number of branches.

First grade staff officers hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and are in charge of
branches at the War Office and larger headquarters.

Second grade staff officers are Majors and third grade are Captains. Their
titles are as shown below.

"G" Staff

"A" Staff

"Q" Staff

First Grade

General Staff Officer 1"G.S.O.1" or "G.1."

Assistant AdjutantGeneral "A.A.G."

Assistant Quarter-master General"A.Q.M.G."

Second Grade

"G.S.O.2"

Deputy AssistantAdjutant General"D.A.A.G."

Deputy AssistantQuartermaster General"D.A.Q.M.G."

Third Grade

"G.S.O.3"

Staff Captain (A)"S.C.(A)"

Staff Captain (Q)"S.C.(Q)"

The titles "G1," "G2," and "G3" when used in the British Service relate to the
gradings and not to the branch of the staff as is the case in
the United States Army.

c. Arms and Services

Arms and Services in the British Army concerned with administration are as
shown. Control by the Staff is as shown below: